Before the General Election NI was referred to as a ‘tax on jobs’, and essentially it is a tax, as once you have sufficient NI contributions to qualify for state benefits any extra payments will not entitle you to further benefits.

If you have paid in excess of the maximum NI contributions required for the tax year you can reclaim the excess amount. The PAYE system will normally ensure that you will not pay more than the annual maximum on your regular employment. However, if you have two or more concurrent employments in the tax year, or you are employed … Continue Reading

The tax-return deadline has been and gone and for many, getting everything in order for the dreaded day of reckoning, was a tedious ordeal. To avoid a headache in 2011, a belated New Year’s resolution should be to keep your books up-to-date for a stress free year-end.

For small businesses, keeping track of cash flow can be a struggle. With limited staff, or none at all, keeping on top of accounting often falls by the wayside in busy periods.

There are some simple steps you can take to make sure your business finances start, and end, 2010 in order.

• Set up a … Continue Reading

With the 31st January tax return deadline looming ever closer, employees may be faced with an additional headache. According to the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIoT), the taxman has issued 25 million incorrect PAYE tax codes for 2010/2011 – double that of the previous year.

Blamed on HMRC’s new computer system, the blunder could see individuals hundreds of pounds short, depending on the level of their earnings.

Andrew Hubbard, president of the CIoT, warned advisors and their business clients to check their new codes. “Most people on PAYE are used to assuming that what the taxman sends them is correct, (filing) away … Continue Reading

The 31 January tax deadline for online self-assessment forms is only weeks away and, according to research by Unbiased.co.uk, taxpayers are set to be charged an unnecessary £503 million this year in fines generated by late returns, miscalculations and surcharges on unpaid tax. The research also reveals that this amount has increased by £24 million on estimations for last year.

Failure to get forms to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by the fast-approaching deadline will incur an initial £100 late payment charge. If the form still hasn’t been returned by 31st July, there will be a further penalty of £100. … Continue Reading

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a reminder to anyone who hasn’t yet submitted their 2008-09 Self Assessment tax return.

The reminder stresses that the 31st October deadline for paper returns has now passed, which means anyone yet to file must do soonline by the 31st January deadline. HMRC warns that if you submit a paper return after 31st October, or you file online after 31st January, you could receive a £100 penalty.

HMRC are expecting more than 9.5m Self Assessment returns this year. Around 5.8m people filed online last year, up from 3.8m the previous year – an increase of over … Continue Reading

If you’re planning on filing your 2008/09 tax return on paper this year, you must get it to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by 31st October. Leave it too late, and you could end up with a £100 late-filing penalty.

If you are concerned you may miss the paper deadline, you can choose to switch to online filing.

The online service has a number of benefits:

• online returns don’t have to be filed until 31st January, so you get three months longer to file;
• your tax is calculated automatically;
• you get an immediate online acknowledgement once you’ve filed;
• it’s processed faster, so any money … Continue Reading